Hey Soul Mates,
it's with no small amount of pride that I read tonight that Bob Dylan has the number one album on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, besting Puff Daddy's fake "band" Danity Kane and a rapper ominously named "Young Dro." It's Dylan's first #1 in 30 years, since Desire which featured Hurricane about boxer Ruben Carter. You've probably read my preliminary thoughts on Modern Times. It's simply proof that people want good music. Regardless of the genre or the vintage of the singer. If it enlightens, moves or soothes folks'll seek it out.
[As I write, I've got Modern Times spinning. The Levee's Gonna Break.
"Some people on the road carryin' everything they own,
Some people got barely 'nuf skin to cover their bones."]
I'll admit, I've written my share of dance-floor fillers. But in learning more about Dylan, I wound up doing some extra digging: checking out Robert Johnson again and Woody Guthrie for the first time. Powerful writers. One very important thing they all require of the listener is patience. You can casually play them in the background, but to get to the heart of their art - where there are real rewards, I try to listen closely. Plus, those Theme Time shows are chock full of shit that no one's heard for years. I liked Dylan's response to an e-mail ("Why do I play so many old songs? There's more of 'em."). I've come to learn that I owe him alot, so I'm paying him attention.
By no coincidence, I finished another book! Dylan's autobiography Chronicles Vol. 1. I'm on a roll. Still working on Character by Chris Wallace and begun Rolling Stones' Bob Dylan, the Essential Interviews. For those of you new to my M.O., I usually immerse myself in a particular writer, artist, filmmaker for a month at a time. This month, Bob's my uncle. Sometimes songwriters really make me re-evaluate the quality of what I'm doing. In a good way. Makes me step up the game. It's easy to get lazy with songwriting. There's a fine line between simplicity and laziness. We've all crossed it. Come on Barbie, let's go party.
I nearly forgot! To escape the heat, we went to the movies today and saw the Illusionist. Well acted; Phillip Glass' score was incredible. And sitting a row in front of me, Motown's own Lamont Dozier! I didn't say anything to him, he was being low key. But there's another writer that can craft a memorable hit. Oh you know, like: Heatwave, This Old Heart of Mine, Stop! In The Name of Love, It's The Same Old Song. Dang, L.A. can be such an interesting place to be.
Thanks to everyone who's been checking out our documentary clip on YouTube. Over 100 views in the first 12 hours. Sweet. It does our hearts good the get all of the feedback, too. We are also toying with the idea of making the Concert at the Cavern Club (audio) available to our fans. Anyone interested?
Love, Power, Peace
it's with no small amount of pride that I read tonight that Bob Dylan has the number one album on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, besting Puff Daddy's fake "band" Danity Kane and a rapper ominously named "Young Dro." It's Dylan's first #1 in 30 years, since Desire which featured Hurricane about boxer Ruben Carter. You've probably read my preliminary thoughts on Modern Times. It's simply proof that people want good music. Regardless of the genre or the vintage of the singer. If it enlightens, moves or soothes folks'll seek it out.
[As I write, I've got Modern Times spinning. The Levee's Gonna Break.
"Some people on the road carryin' everything they own,
Some people got barely 'nuf skin to cover their bones."]
I'll admit, I've written my share of dance-floor fillers. But in learning more about Dylan, I wound up doing some extra digging: checking out Robert Johnson again and Woody Guthrie for the first time. Powerful writers. One very important thing they all require of the listener is patience. You can casually play them in the background, but to get to the heart of their art - where there are real rewards, I try to listen closely. Plus, those Theme Time shows are chock full of shit that no one's heard for years. I liked Dylan's response to an e-mail ("Why do I play so many old songs? There's more of 'em."). I've come to learn that I owe him alot, so I'm paying him attention.
By no coincidence, I finished another book! Dylan's autobiography Chronicles Vol. 1. I'm on a roll. Still working on Character by Chris Wallace and begun Rolling Stones' Bob Dylan, the Essential Interviews. For those of you new to my M.O., I usually immerse myself in a particular writer, artist, filmmaker for a month at a time. This month, Bob's my uncle. Sometimes songwriters really make me re-evaluate the quality of what I'm doing. In a good way. Makes me step up the game. It's easy to get lazy with songwriting. There's a fine line between simplicity and laziness. We've all crossed it. Come on Barbie, let's go party.
I nearly forgot! To escape the heat, we went to the movies today and saw the Illusionist. Well acted; Phillip Glass' score was incredible. And sitting a row in front of me, Motown's own Lamont Dozier! I didn't say anything to him, he was being low key. But there's another writer that can craft a memorable hit. Oh you know, like: Heatwave, This Old Heart of Mine, Stop! In The Name of Love, It's The Same Old Song. Dang, L.A. can be such an interesting place to be.
Thanks to everyone who's been checking out our documentary clip on YouTube. Over 100 views in the first 12 hours. Sweet. It does our hearts good the get all of the feedback, too. We are also toying with the idea of making the Concert at the Cavern Club (audio) available to our fans. Anyone interested?
Love, Power, Peace
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